Italian-American · main

Spicy Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Spicy Sausage and Tortellini Soup reads umami 6.5, richness 5.6 and salinity 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.5 · Richness 5.6 · Salinity 4.8 · Allium 4.1 · Sweetness 3.3 · Sourness 2.1 · Heat 2.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.0 · Fruity 1.9 · Earthy 1.6 · Nutty 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Smoke 1.0 · Floral 0.6 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (15)

• hot italian sausage — 454 g
• olive oil — 14 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• carrots — 120 g
• garlic — 12 g
• tomato paste — 15 g
• red chili flakes — 5 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 1420 g
• tomatoes — 411 g
• refrigerated cheese tortellini — 255 g
• heavy cream — 237 g
• baby spinach — 710 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g

Time & effort: about 30 min (29 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 83.7 kcal, 4.7 g protein, 4.6 g fat, 6.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until deeply browned and no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Add the olive oil to the pot along with the onion and carrots. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the browned sausage to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the carrots are just tender, 8-10 minutes.
5. Stir in the tortellini and simmer gently until they float and are tender, 3-4 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, spinach, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, just until the spinach wilts and the soup is heated through, 1-2 minutes; do not let it boil hard or the cream may separate.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted into the broth. Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls and finish with extra Parmesan and a pinch more red pepper flakes if you like it hotter.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew — Italian-American
• Pasta Fagioli with Italian Sausage — Italian-American
• Baked Ziti with Spinach and Ricotta — Italian-American
• Sausage and Kale White Bean Stew — Italian-American
• Italian Wedding Soup — Italian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.